Tecsun PL-680 Review: Is This the Better PL-660?

The Tecsun PL-680 is one of the most capable portable shortwave radios in Tecsun’s lineup, but is it actually better than the popular PL-660? In this Tecsun PL-680 review, I look at shortwave sensitivity, selectivity, SSB reception, synchronous detection, AGC behavior, AM performance, air-band coverage and everyday usability to see what the PL-680 does better—and where the older PL-660 still has an edge. If you’re choosing between these two classic Tecsun receivers, the differences are worth understanding before you buy.

Quick Verdict-

Verdict: The Tecsun PL-680 is an excellent portable shortwave receiver and, for dedicated shortwave listening, a worthwhile refinement of the PL-660 design.

Its greatest strengths are its sensitivity, selectivity, SSB capability, synchronous detection and improved behavior on weak, fading shortwave signals.

The receiver isn’t perfect. Its medium-wave performance is not as strong as the PL-660’s, it still lacks a dedicated line output, and the basic interface is now an older design.

But if your priority is shortwave DXing, amateur-radio SSB listening and portable HF reception, the PL-680 remains a serious receiver.

Feature	Tecsun PL-680
FM	76–108 MHz
LW	100–519 kHz
MW/AM	520–1710 kHz
Shortwave	1.711–29.999 MHz
Air band	118–137 MHz
SSB	USB / LSB
Synchronous detection	Yes
Receiver architecture	Dual conversion on MW/LW/SW
Memories	Up to 1,900/2,000 depending on allocation/source
Tuning	Direct entry, manual tuning, scanning/ATS
Antenna	Telescopic + external FM/SW jack
Batteries	4 × AA
External power	6V DC
Dimensions	188 × 116 × 31 mm
Weight	Approximately 475 g

Tecsun’s current specifications list FM, LW, MW, SW and 118–137 MHz air-band coverage, USB/LSB SSB, synchronous detection, dual conversion, 1,900 memories, DX/Normal/Local antenna gain settings and four-AA battery operation.

You might want a bit of an upgrade to-

What Is the Tecsun PL-680?

The PL-680 is a PLL-controlled portable general-coverage receiver designed primarily around AM, shortwave and SSB reception.

It was introduced as a close relative of the PL-660. In fact, the similarities are striking.

The controls and basic operating philosophy are extremely familiar to anyone who has used the PL-660.

That is intentional.

Independent testing found that the PL-680 essentially retains the PL-660’s functional feature set rather than introducing a completely new operating system or interface.

The important changes are therefore less about adding dozens of new features and more about refining the receiver itself.

That makes the PL-680 an interesting radio to evaluate on performance rather than a feature-count basis.

Shortwave Performance

Shortwave is where the PL-680 makes its strongest case.

Independent testing comparing the PL-680 directly with the PL-660 found a modest sensitivity advantage for the newer radio. More importantly, the PL-680 handled weak and fading signals with more stable AGC behavior.

That distinction matters.

A receiver can have excellent sensitivity on a specification sheet but still be frustrating to use when propagation conditions become difficult.

Shortwave signals are constantly changing.

You can have:

• fading
• noise
• interference
• adjacent stations
• atmospheric static
• rapidly changing signal strength

The PL-680’s improvements are most useful under those conditions.

In blind listening tests involving 194 listener reports, the PL-680 came out ahead of the PL-660 in the shortwave samples, with better sensitivity and more stable AGC specifically noted as advantages.

The difference isn’t revolutionary.

The PL-660 was already a good receiver.

But the PL-680’s improvements address exactly the kind of behavior that experienced DXers notice during long listening sessions.

Sensitivity

Tecsun specifies shortwave sensitivity of better than 20 µV at a 26 dB signal-to-noise ratio, while SSB sensitivity is specified at better than 1 µV at a 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio.

Specifications alone don’t tell the whole story, but the independent comparisons are encouraging.

The PL-680 was consistently judged slightly more sensitive than the PL-660 on shortwave.

That makes the radio particularly well suited to:

• international shortwave broadcasting
• weak-signal DX
• amateur HF monitoring
• utility signals
• propagation monitoring

For the serious SWL, those improvements matter more than adding another convenience feature.

Selectivity

Tecsun specifies greater than 40 dB of selectivity at ±5 kHz on shortwave.

That is useful when stations are close together.

Shortwave bands can become crowded, particularly around popular international broadcast frequencies and amateur bands.

The PL-680 gives the listener a reasonable set of tools for dealing with that environment, including bandwidth choices and synchronous detection.

It isn’t a modern SDR with infinitely adjustable filtering, but for a traditional portable receiver it is a capable performer.

Synchronous Detection

Synchronous detection is one of the PL-680’s most important features.

The receiver can lock onto an AM carrier and reconstruct the signal using synchronous detection.

This can be particularly helpful when a shortwave broadcast is suffering from fading or adjacent-channel interference.

But the PL-680’s implementation is particularly interesting because it improves on one of the PL-660’s known weaknesses.

In direct comparisons, the PL-680 maintained synchronous lock substantially better than the PL-660. A blind listener survey involving 85 responses strongly favored the PL-680 in the tested recordings.

That is a meaningful improvement.

The PL-660 already had a respectable synchronous detector, but under difficult propagation conditions it could lose lock.

The PL-680 appears to handle those conditions better.

For someone who uses synchronous detection frequently, this is one of the strongest reasons to choose the PL-680.

SSB Performance

The PL-680 supports both USB and LSB, with BFO control.

That makes it useful for listening to amateur-radio operators throughout the HF bands.

The independent comparison found the two radios to be quite close in SSB performance, with a slight edge to the PL-680 in sensitivity and AGC behavior. SSB audio fidelity was considered very similar between the two models.

For amateur-radio listeners, that makes the PL-680 a very capable portable companion.

You can monitor:

• 160 meters
• 80 meters
• 60 meters
• 40 meters
• 30 meters
• 20 meters
• 17 meters
• 15 meters
• 12 meters
• 10 meters

provided there is activity within the receiver’s coverage and the signal conditions permit reception.

It isn’t a transmitter, of course.

But as an HF monitoring receiver, it gives you a lot of capability in a relatively small package.

Medium-Wave Performance

This is where the PL-680 gets interesting.

If I were evaluating only shortwave performance, I would give the PL-680 the edge over the PL-660.

But medium wave tells a different story.

Independent testing found that the PL-660 is the better medium-wave receiver, particularly with weak signals. In a survey involving 116 listener responses, the PL-660 was preferred by a substantial margin in most of the tested weak-signal samples.

That means medium-wave DXers should not automatically assume that the newer model is better.

If your hobby revolves around pulling distant AM broadcast stations out of the nighttime noise, the PL-660 remains extremely interesting.

For casual AM listening, however, the PL-680 is perfectly usable.

FM Performance

FM reception is not the main reason to buy the PL-680, but performance is good.

The receiver covers 76–108 MHz, depending on the regional configuration, and Tecsun specifies FM sensitivity better than 3 µV at a 30 dB signal-to-noise ratio.

Independent testing found the PL-680 capable of receiving local and regional benchmark FM stations and broadly comparable to the PL-660.

For everyday FM listening, the receiver is more than adequate.

Air-Band Reception

The PL-680 also covers the civil aviation band from approximately 118 to 137 MHz.

That makes it useful for monitoring aircraft communications.

The air band is AM rather than FM, and the PL-680 gives you another major monitoring capability without requiring a second receiver.

This is particularly useful for:

• aviation enthusiasts
• airport monitoring
• travel
• radio monitoring
• emergency preparedness

The air-band capability is one of the features that separates the PL-680 from simpler shortwave portables.

Dual Conversion Receiver

Tecsun describes the PL-680 as using dual conversion for MW, LW and SW, with the goal of providing good sensitivity and selectivity.

The manual documentation specifies a first IF of 55.845 MHz and a second IF of 455 kHz for AM/SSB reception.

For the listener, the important point is not the architecture itself but what it contributes to reception.

The PL-680 is designed as a serious superheterodyne receiver rather than a basic low-cost portable.

That is consistent with the radio’s strong shortwave performance.

Controls and Ergonomics

The PL-680’s controls are one of its underrated strengths.

If you’ve used a PL-660, you’ll feel at home almost immediately.

The physical design retains:

• dedicated band controls
• numeric frequency entry
• tuning controls
• SSB controls
• synchronous detection
• memory controls
• tuning-step controls
• antenna gain controls

This is a traditional radio interface.

There are no touchscreen menus to navigate.

For an enthusiast who spends time tuning around the HF bands, that can be a major advantage.

The radio also retains the proven portable form factor associated with the PL-600/PL-660 family. Independent testing described the ergonomics as a strength.

Memory System

Tecsun specifies approximately 1,900 memory locations for the PL-680, while some documentation and retail descriptions describe a larger allocation depending on how memories are organized.

Either way, memory capacity is not going to be a limitation for most users.

You can store frequencies for:

• shortwave broadcasters
• amateur-radio nets
• utility stations
• aviation
• AM broadcast stations
• FM stations

The radio also supports automatic tuning storage.

For someone who regularly monitors the same frequencies, this is very convenient.

Antenna System

The PL-680 includes a long telescopic antenna and an external FM/SW antenna connection.

That makes the receiver considerably more flexible than a basic portable.

For casual listening, the built-in telescopic antenna is sufficient.

For serious shortwave work, you can experiment with an external wire antenna or other suitable antenna system.

The receiver also provides DX, Normal and Local antenna-gain settings.

That is useful because maximum gain isn’t always desirable.

A very strong local signal can overload a receiver just as easily as a weak signal can disappear into the noise.

Audio Quality

The built-in speaker is one area where the PL-680 improves on the PL-660.

Independent testing described the internal speaker as an improvement over the PL-660, although it did not reach the fidelity of the more upscale PL-880.

That makes the PL-680 quite pleasant for ordinary listening.

Speech is clear.

Broadcast programming is easy to follow.

And the speaker can provide enough volume for normal room listening.

This is not an audiophile radio, but it is better than many compact shortwave receivers.

The Missing Line-Out

Unfortunately, Tecsun did not address one of the PL-660’s most obvious omissions.

There is still no dedicated line-out connection.

The radio has a 3.5 mm stereo headphone output, but that isn’t the same as a proper fixed-level recording output.

For ordinary listening, this won’t matter.

For someone who wants to make high-quality recordings of shortwave broadcasts, it is a legitimate limitation.

It is particularly disappointing because a line output would have made the PL-680 a much more attractive tool for serious recording and signal analysis.

Power and Portability

The PL-680 runs on four AA batteries or a 6V DC adapter. Tecsun also specifies an internal charging function for Ni-MH rechargeable batteries.

At approximately 475 grams without batteries, it is portable without being ultra-light.

The dimensions are approximately 188 × 116 × 31 mm.

That puts it firmly into the traditional portable shortwave-radio category.

It is small enough for travel but substantial enough to operate comfortably.

For camping, field listening and travel, this is a practical size.

PL-680 vs. PL-660

This is the comparison most buyers will naturally make.

And the answer isn’t simply “the PL-680 is newer, so buy it.”

Category	PL-680	PL-660
Shortwave sensitivity	Better	Excellent
Shortwave AGC	Better	More prone to soft muting/AGC behavior
Synchronous detection	Better lock	Very good
SSB	Excellent	Excellent
Medium-wave DX	Good	Better
FM	Excellent	Excellent
Air band	Yes	Yes
External SW antenna	Yes	Yes
Line output	No	No
Ergonomics	Excellent	Excellent
Overall SWL choice	Preferred	Excellent alternative

The important distinction is that the PL-680 is a performance refinement rather than a feature revolution.

Independent blind tests found the PL-680 ahead on shortwave sensitivity, AGC stability and synchronous detection, while the PL-660 remained stronger on medium wave.

That makes the choice relatively straightforward.

Shortwave first? PL-680.

Medium-wave DX first? PL-660.

PL-680 vs. PL-880

The PL-880 is a substantially different proposition.

The PL-680 is focused on traditional receiver functionality.

The PL-880 moves further toward premium portable-radio territory.

If you care primarily about:

• shortwave sensitivity
• SSB
• synchronous detection
• physical controls
• portability
• value

the PL-680 remains attractive.

If you care more about:

• audio quality
• premium construction
• additional receiver features
• a more upscale listening experience

the PL-880 becomes more compelling.

In other words, the PL-680 is the enthusiast’s practical choice, while the PL-880 is the more luxurious choice.

Who Should Buy the PL-680?

The PL-680 is particularly well suited to:

Shortwave DXers

This is the obvious audience.

The receiver’s sensitivity and improved AGC behavior are exactly what you want when working weak and fading signals.

Amateur-radio listeners

SSB and broad HF coverage make the PL-680 an excellent monitoring receiver for amateur bands.

Travelers

You get shortwave, AM, FM and air band in a single portable receiver.

Radio hobbyists

If you enjoy experimenting with antennas and tuning around the spectrum, the PL-680 provides plenty of capability to explore.

Listeners upgrading from an inexpensive shortwave radio

The PL-680 provides a substantial step up in receiver sophistication without moving into desktop-receiver territory.

Who Should Skip It?

The PL-680 is less compelling for people who primarily want:

• a tiny pocket radio
• Bluetooth connectivity
• USB computer control
• a modern SDR interface
• a touchscreen
• a dedicated recording output
• the strongest possible medium-wave DX performance

It is a traditional enthusiast receiver.

That is both its appeal and its limitation.

Tecsun PL-680 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent shortwave sensitivity
• Very good selectivity
• Improved AGC behavior over the PL-660
• Stronger synchronous-detector performance
• Excellent SSB capability
• USB and LSB
• Air-band coverage
• Good FM reception
• Dual-conversion MW/LW/SW design
• Excellent physical controls
• Large memory capacity
• External FM/SW antenna connection
• Four-AA battery operation
• Good built-in speaker
• Proven portable design

Cons

• Medium-wave performance is weaker than the PL-660
• No dedicated line-out
• Older-style display and interface
• No modern digital connectivity
• Larger than ultra-compact shortwave portables
• Not the best choice for dedicated MW DXers

My Rating

Category	Rating
Shortwave sensitivity	9.2/10
Shortwave selectivity	9.0/10
SSB performance	8.8/10
Synchronous detection	9.0/10
AM/MW reception	7.8/10
FM reception	8.8/10
Air-band capability	8.5/10
Controls/ergonomics	9.0/10
Speaker/audio	8.0/10
Portability	8.5/10
Features	9.0/10
Modern connectivity	5.5/10
Overall	8.8/10

Final Verdict

The Tecsun PL-680 is best understood as a refined PL-660 rather than a completely new radio.

That distinction is important.

Tecsun didn’t radically change the feature set. Instead, the company retained the proven controls and functionality while improving several aspects of receiver performance.

For shortwave listening, those improvements are meaningful.

Independent testing found the PL-680 to be slightly more sensitive than the PL-660, with noticeably better AGC behavior on weak and fading signals. Its synchronous detector also held lock better in difficult conditions.

The tradeoff is medium wave.

The PL-660 remains the better choice if your primary interest is weak-signal AM broadcast DXing.

For everyone else, the PL-680 makes a strong case.

It is especially good for the listener who wants one portable receiver capable of handling shortwave DX, SSB, amateur-radio monitoring, international broadcasting, FM and aircraft communications.

The design is older by today’s standards, but the underlying receiver remains highly capable.

Bottom line

Buy the PL-680 if: shortwave and SSB are your priorities and you want better weak-signal behavior than the PL-660 provides.

Buy the PL-660 if: medium-wave DX is especially important or you find one at a substantially better price.

Choose a higher-end Tecsun if: audio quality and premium features matter more than value and traditional controls.